At a Glance

Learn field nature photography techniques with a professional photographer and explore stunning scenery during field trips on foot and by van. Up early and out late, find dramatic light, build strong compositions and capture digital images. This program emphasizes outdoor settings, and minimal time will be spent in formal classroom instruction.

Activity Level

Keep the Pace

Hiking 1-3 miles with equipment over varied terrain. Elevations of 3,000-8,000 feet.

Small Group

Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 10 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you'll ...

Photograph spectacular desert scenery and capture the early morning and late evening light.

Maximize your photography of the area during this advanced program with most of your time and instruction taking place in the field.

General Notes

Bring digital camera, digital memory cards and extra batteries. Recommend bringing a tripod and your own laptop. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.

Featured Expert

All Experts

Ryan Kirkpatrick

Ryan Kirkpatrick is the director of operations for Mountains & Plains Institute for Lifelong Learning and Service, and has led hundreds of Road Scholar programs since 2003. A native of Colorado, Ryan has a master’s in sports science, is a Wilderness First Responder, and a “Master Naturalist” for the city of Fort Collins. In addition, he is an ASEP certified instructor and received his Level 1 USATF Coaching Certification from the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He is also a volunteer nordic ski ranger for the Colorado State Forest, and as a photographer is a member of Canon Professional Services.

Drew Carlson

Ryan Kirkpatrick

Suggested Reading List

View 3 books

Canyonlands Country: Geology of Canyonlands and Arches National Parks

by Donald L. Baars

"An easy-to-read geological history of the amazing red rock landscapes in southeastern Utah.
Towering red buttes, plunging canyon walls, domes, pinnacles, spires, ten thousand strangely carved forms—what visitor hasn’t marveled at the land of rock in southeastern Utah that is Canyonlands Country?
Canyonlands Country offers a unique geological history of this awesome landscape, in language understandable by the non-geologist. The story is as strange and fascinating as the land itself. Each exposed rock layer has a different geologic history: one is a stream deposit, another is an ancient field of dunes, another was deposited by shallow tropic seas. The Green and Colorado Rivers began carving canyons thirty million years ago, but to understand such relatively recent events Canyonlands Country takes us on a journey of two billion years.
Tours include Arches National Park, Island in the Sky, Needles District, The Maze and Elaterite Basin, Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons, Meander Canyon, and Cataract Canyon."

The Ute Indians of Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico

by Virginia Simmons

Using government documents, archives, and local histories, Simmons has painstakingly separated the often repeated and often incorrect hearsay from more accurate accounts of the Ute Indians.

Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness

by Edward Abbey

"A passionately felt, deeply poetic book. It has philosophy. It has humor. It has its share of nerve-tingling adventures...set down in a lean, racing prose, in a close-knit style of power and beauty."
Edward Abbey lived for three seasons in the desert at Moab, Utah, and what he discovered about the land before him, the world around him, and the heart that beat within, is a fascinating, sometimes raucous, always personal account of a place that has already disappeared, but is worth remembering and living through again and again.
The classic drama of a year alone as a ranger in a national park. "This book may well seem like a ride on a bucking bronco."--New York Times Book Review

Afternoon: Mandatory orientation in hotel meeting room at 5:00 PM. Welcome to Moab! We'll have an informative overview of the program to come plus an opportunity to meet the program staff and your fellow participants during an introductory get-acquainted session. We’ll review the updated schedule, cover responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated meal, with choices from a menu, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: After dinner, we will wrap up our orientation back at the hotel with a short lecture on nature photography from our instructor. We’ll get some rest afterwards—we start before dawn tomorrow!

DAY

2

Photographing Arches National Park & Colorado River Canyon

Moab, UT

B,L,D

River Canyon Lodge

Activity note: Drive to the Needles District approximately one hour. Walking up to 1/2 mile at each stop, carrying photographic equipment. Sturdy footwear and layers recommended. Getting on/off bus.

Breakfast: Early diner breakfast.

Morning: We will depart from the diner by van to Arches National Park. Arches has over 2,000 individual arches, the highest concentration in the world. Our early morning light stop is at LaSal Mountains and Courthouse Towers Overlook. We will remain until well after dawn, experiencing the amazing light, and then travel to Devil's Playground. We will walk the 1.2 mile trail to Landscape Arch with many photo opportunities along the trail.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated meal, with choices from a menu, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After some time to relax or individual appointments with our instructor,, we will depart mid-afternoon for the Colorado River Canyon north of Moab by van along a portion of Utah Scenic Byway with stops to photograph and view the LaSal Mountains, the bends of the river and dramatic canyon walls, and finally our sunset destination, the dramatic Fisher Towers, one of the most awe-inspiring geological features of the Colorado Riverway.

Dinner: In the park, we will have a boxed dinner out in the field, including a choice of sandwich, fruit, chips, cookie, and water.

Evening: We will continue our photography until dark, after which we will return to Moab for an evening at leisure.

DAY

3

Views of Colorado River Canyon from Dead Horse Point, Arches

Moab, UT

B,D

River Canyon Lodge

Activity note: Drive to the Needles District approximately one hour. Walking up to 1/2 mile at each stop, carrying photographic equipment. Sturdy footwear and layers recommended. Getting on/off bus.

Breakfast: Early diner breakfast.

Morning: We will depart from the diner and travel by van to Dead Horse Point State Park for our early morning photo location. The dramatic landscape of the canyon walls become illuminated as the early morning sunbeams work their patterns down to the Colorado River 2,000 feet below. The park is so named for the wild mustangs that roamed the area before the turn of the 19th century and the natural corral the promontory made for those that were corralled, unsold, and released. It is said a band of “broomtails” died of thirst in sight of the Colorado below. Prior to our return to Moab, we’ll stop along the Colorado River to look at ancient petroglyphs and a view of the distinctive Jug Handle Arch.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: After some time to relax or individual appointments with our instructor, we will depart mid-afternoon from Moab, and, after a beautiful and dramatic drive through the entrance of Arches National Park, we will have a one-way photography hike on the Park Avenue Trail (1 mile). This dramatic hike is a favorite, as it winds through 1,000-foot towers of red sandstone. Vans will pick us up at the lower trailhead. We’ll stop next at our sunset location, a picnic area with a view of Balanced Rock and the rugged red rocks and distant LaSal mountains in the background.

Dinner: In the park, we will have a boxed dinner out in the field, including a choice of sandwich, fruit, chips, cookie, and water.

Evening: We will continue our photography until dark, after which we will return to Moab for an evening at leisure at the hotel.

DAY

4

Island in the Sky District in Canyonlands, Arches

Moab, UT

B,L,D

River Canyon Lodge

Activity note: Drive to the Needles District approximately one hour. Walking up to 1/2 mile at each stop, carrying photographic equipment. Sturdy footwear and layers recommended. Getting on/off bus.

Breakfast: Early diner breakfast.

Morning: We will depart from the diner and drive one hour to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. Our early morning destination is the iconic Mesa Arch, a famous stop for photographers. With its sunrise glow and framing of the peaks beyond, it captures the essence of this region. A trip to Island in the Sky would not be complete without the short half-mile hike round trip short hike to the amazing Mesa Arch. We next travel to Green River Overlook for a glimpse into the canyon of the Green, on its way to the confluence with the Colorado River. We will be treated to an expansive view of the Canyon and you will be able to see all the way across to the Needles District, where we will photograph tomorrow. We’ll return to Moab by noon.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated meal, with choices from a menu, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After some time to relax or individual appointments with our instructor, we will depart Moab mid-afternoon for our third visit to Arches National Park by van. We have two choices for our afternoon photo opportunities, based upon ability for hiking and also ability to carry photo gear for the distance of the hike. The first hike is to the base of Delicate Arch, Utah's official symbol—a roundtrip of 3 miles with an elevation gain and loss of 800 feet, hiking over the rock sandstone surface. The second takes us to a viewpoint that observes Delicate Arch from below, followed by a short half-mile roundtrip walk for sunset to Skyline Arch.

Dinner: In the park, we will have a boxed dinner out in the field (location depending on hike choice), including a choice of sandwich, fruit, chips, cookie, and water.

Evening: Both groups will return by van individually to Moab after sunset.

DAY

5

Photographing the Needles District in Canyonlands

Moab, UT

B,L,D

River Canyon Lodge

Activity note: Drive to the Needles District approximately one hour. Walking up to 1/2 mile at each stop, carrying photographic equipment. Sturdy footwear and layers recommended. Getting on/off bus.

Breakfast: Early diner breakfast.

Morning: We will depart the diner by van this morning for a one-hour drive south of Moab along the Spanish Valley to our destination in Canyonlands National Park, the Needles District. Turning west we will enter Indian Creek and, after passing several ranches, enter the park. Our first photo stop is at a view of Six Shooter Peaks before we visit the Visitor's Center for restrooms and exhibits. We’ll then drive through the park landscape stopping to photograph Wooden Shoe Arch, and then our third stop of view of the Needles themselves. We’ll finish the morning at a scenic picnic area for lunch surrounded by the Slickrock formations.

Lunch: A local market prepares our fresh box lunches each day so that we can enjoy them in the scenic outdoors. Lunch will include your choice of sandwich, fruit, chips, dessert, and water.

Afternoon: After lunch we will drive to a short trail and walk a quarter-mile that ends at an ancestral Puebloan granary. This ancient repository was built nearly 800 years ago by tribes that raised corn and stored it for future use in the granary. Then, we will travel back along Indian Creek Highway, leaving the National Park but surrounded by massive cliffs that are a world-class destination for rock climbers. We will try to catch a glimpse of these athletes high on the massive cliffs. Do you know the difference between a pictograph and a petroglyph? We will stop at Newspaper Rock State Park on the drive back to Moab to view and photograph one of the best examples of petroglyphs in the area. We will then return to Moab in late afternoon.

Dinner: Tonight we have a special closing dinner at a local grill in Moab with an incredible view of the surrounding region. We will enjoy a plated meal, with choices from a menu, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure. We’ll have a short gathering for farewells and to debrief our photo adventure.

DAY

6

Program Concludes

Moab, UT

B

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 10:00 a.m.

Breakfast: Early diner breakfast. This concludes our program.

Morning: We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals

13 Meals

5 Breakfasts

3 Lunches

5 Dinners

The following choices may be available when requested in advance:

Lodging

Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.

The program exceeded my expectations. Ryan and Drew are both excellent photographers and helped each of us, no matter our level of photography skill, to achieve success and take home fantastic pictures.

A thoroughly enjoyable photography program with wonderful and knowledgeable instructors. Instructors worked hard to make it a memorable program. I learned many new things and met some wonderful people that made the program all the more enjoyable.

The instructors were excellent at putting you into the right places at the right times. They accomodated a wide range of experience levels and gear. The trip was extremely well organized with minimal standing around and gave plenty of time to get into the groove of a location.

Thanks to Ryan and Drew for a wonderful photography experience in Arches and Canyonlands! They were knowledgeable, caring, and funny! Great iconic spots and also off-the-beaten-path places! Some favorites--hiking to Delicate Arch, the awesome sunrise at Mesa Arch, the meditative experience at Needles in Canyonlands, and the iconic Balanced Rock... I learned how to shoot on manual! I appreciated the surprise "cookies and ice cream party" to celebrate my husband's birthday and another participant's birthday ... that was very thoughtful! This was our 2nd wonderful Road Scholar adventure.

A well conceived and executed program.
Ryan and Drew were both knowledgeable and helpful. Ryan provided useful information both on photography and the geology of the areas we visited. Drew prides himself as the technophile, and provided much appreciated guidance on the most appropriate focal lengths and lens filters for each area. Both appreciated the different cameras used. A number of memorable photos were even captured on smart phones.
Group leaders who are familiar with the areas being photographed, anticipated shooting conditions, and travel times to each area are essential to this program. Both Drew and Ryan are experienced with this program and did a great job. We arrived at each of the sites with ample time to set up equipment without excess time to get bored awaiting great light for landscape photography.

This was an excellent program with superb instruction and great itinerary. A photographer of any level will find it interesting. I'm a proficient photographer with advanced skills and I wasn't bored at all. My husband, who is a beginner, found this program very interesting and not at all intimidating. The locations were spectacular and we saw them at the best possible time. A great bonus - the food was the best of all eight RS programs we've attended! Be prepared to wake up very early every day.

This program was outstanding, certainly one of the best I have attended. The venues were outstanding! Ryan and Drew really knew their stuff and were extremely helpful to all participants. The group was interesting and very convivial. And I came away with excellent photos!

great program moab is breathtaking. the program gave us a feeling that we saw all of the best vistas at the best time. the instructors were well versed in the area and in photography. Extremey helpful. Fun and educational

Spectacular scenery, THE best group leader (Ryan) and instructor (Drew), comfortable housing, good food, good company! This ranked at the top of the Road Scholar trips we have been on. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to improve their photographic skills with an awesome instructor or just drink in the amazing, extraordinary sights of Arches and Canyonlands.

Best leaders of RS groups, ever. Scenery was incredible, but Ryan and Drew knew just when to get us to the right spots and the right times. Drew also knew EVERYTHING about EVERYONE'S cameras which was quite something so when we had a question Drew would amble over and give an in depth, cogent info on how to correct it. Great stuff and Great people to be with. It also never rained!